Monday, November 21, 2011

But did they listen to me? No.

Cutler was injured Sunday when San Diego Chargers linebacker Donald Butler blocked him to the ground at the end of an interception return in the fourth quarter. X-rays after the game confirmed the injury, and he was sent to a specialist Monday morning while the Bears prepared to make the transition to Caleb Hanie at quarterback.

Again, I have to ask why the Bears have given Hanie so few snaps this season when they certainly had several chances. (October 17, 2011: Why keep the starters in when the game's a blow-out?). Now we'll see if he can pull the splinters out of his rear-end and get the job done.

If you are of a certain age you will find it hard to hear references to Caleb Hanie and not think of Eustace Haney, the Hooterville con man in the 1960s CBS sit-com, "Green Acres."

Can I interest you in a gen-yoo-wine quarterback, Mr. Smith? Fresh as a daisy, barely been used, still has lots of touchdowns left in him...

Posted at 10:38:23 PM

Comments

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I asked a similar question about getting backups reps with the first team.

This has been a decades long problem with the Bears.
They run their first string QB into the ground rather than let the backup have a chance.
I remember when they insanely stuck with Bobby Douglass despite the fact he just wasn't any good. When he was finally injured, the fans cheered so that Bob Avellini got a chance to play. He wasn't very good either, but who knows? Was he ruined by never getting a chance to play before being thrown to the wolves?

While I agree that it was probably less than prudent to keep Cutler in during some of the blowouts (or at least late in the 4th when the result isn't in doubt) because of the risk-of-injury factor, I question what Hanie really would have gained from coming in and mopping up during garbage time?

Yes, I get that live game action is different from practice action, but is he really going to benefit from a few minutes of handing the ball off a bunch of times? I suppose some marginal benefit could be gained, but nothing that's really going to prepare him for starting a full game.

@TB, if nothing else, he'll get more use to the crowd, the noise and the live game jitters. You'd also hope that he gets permission to do the old Douglass/Avellini play: handoff, handoff, throw, punt. :D

"I get that live game action is different from practice action, but is he really going to benefit from a few minutes of handing the ball off a bunch of times?"

--Are there incentives that Cutler stands to make by achieving certain milestones (yards passing, etc.)? Maybe that's one of the reasons for leaving him in. Similarly, I can't stand it when a baseball manager tries to get a starter through the 5th (even when he's clearly lost it), just to make him eligible for a win.

I have no confidence in Caleb Hanie and as far as I'm concerned the season is over. In the Martz system, the back up quarterback gets no snaps with the first team. This is going to be a disaster. Next year, Martz should be shown the door and the Bears should talk to Kyle Orton about becoming the back up for Cutler.
The Bears should have contacted someone in the off season about this and brought them in for a look see.

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